stikeb



(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

F. P. STIKBR.

SUPPORT FOR RAIL JOINTS.

Patented Apr, 24, 1394.

(No Model.) 2 Shets--Sheet 2.

F; P. S'TIKBR. SUPPORT FOR RAIL JOINTS.

No. 518,634. Patented Apr. 24, 1894.

man STATES FLAVIUS P. STIKER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESN E ASSIGNMENTS, OF ONE-HALF TO ANNA VAN DENVOUVER, OF SAME PLACE.

SUPPORT FOR RAIL-JOINTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.518,634, dated April 24, 1894.

Application filed October 28,

To all whom it may concern.-

My invention relates to supports for railjoints, its object being to provide an improved construction which, when applied to the contiguous ends of rails, employed in the formation of tracks for railways, serves to keep the ends of the rails in a common plane and thereby prevent the battering of the railends and the consequent pounding and thumping of the car-trucks in passing over the joints.

To that end my invention consists of a metallic strut or arch located under the contiguous rail-ends and its downwardly extending ends resting in the chairs, which support the ends of the rails, the chairs being held from undue spreading under strain, by a metallic tie-rod secured thereto.

My invention further consists in securing the strut or arch in the above outlined structures to the rails, which I preferably accomplish by a pair of fish-plates employed in joining the ends of the rails and provided with downwardly projecting extensions which engage with the top of the strut or arch to hold it in its operative position under the ends of the rails.

I will now proceed to minutely describe the manner in which I have carried out my invention and then claim what I believe to be novel.-

In the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are side and and elevations of my improved form of support for rail-joints. Figs. 3 and 4 are simi- 1893. Seria1No.489,363. (NomodeL) ends forming the joint to be supported and 2. 2. are fish-plates uniting the same on either side by bolts 3 and nuts 4.

5 5 (see Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4) are chairs of any well known construction invthis instance consisting of a metal strip bent so as to form vertical sides with their lower ends bent to form flanges 6 6 and a flat top 7 upon which the rails 1 rest and are held in place by the lips 8. 8. struck up from the flat top at diag onally opposite corners and bent over to embrace the lower fiange of the rail on opposite sides thereof. The flanges 6. 6. are spiked t0 the ties 9 to hold the chairs firmly in position.

On either side of each chair are arranged the plates or washers 10, having side flanges 11. 11 which serve to prevent lateral displacement of these plates 10 in their vertical positions upon the chairs.

12 is a tie-rod extending from one chair to the other its ends being passed through the sets of plates 10. 10. upon each chair the tierod being held securelyin position by the nuts 13. 13. at each end and outside of the chairs. If desired a spiral spring 14; encircling the tie-rod may be interposed between the nut 13 and plate 10 atone end. Upon the inner faces of the plates or washers 10.10. are formed the channel-shaped seats or recesses 15 in which the ends of the strut 16 rest. The chairs serve to hold the ends of the strut reliably in place the tie-rod serving to prevent any undue spreading of the ties or chairs under strain and the spring 14, if employed, permits of a certain elastic yielding of parts which under certain conditions may be found desirable. This arrangement of parts as just outlined forms my improved support for the rail-joint and constitutes as will be clearly seen, a firm support for the ends of the rails forming the joint, and should the strut yield slightly, as is possible, the ends of the rails would necessarily be depressed equally thereby preventing the battering of either rail-end.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a curvedsection of channel-iron forming an arch 18 which may, if desired,be substituted for the angular strut 16 shown in the other figures. It is made flat at its highest portion for a short distance to afiord a rest for the rail ends.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown the fish-plates 2 provided with integral downwardly projecting extensions 19 centrally arranged, their lower ends being bent up around the sides of the channel-iron forming the strut the object being to secure the strut at its central portion to the rail-joint and prevent accidental displacement which might possibly occur in extreme cases.

I prefer to employ channel-iron on account of its lightness and strength but other forms of iron could be employed to effect the purpose desired.

I claim- 1. A support for rail-joints consisting essentially of a metallic strut or arch upon the upper flat surface of which the contiguous ends of the rails rest, chairs which support the ends of the rails and which are provided with seats for the reception of the downwardly extendin g ends of the strut or arch and a tie-rod having its ends secured to the chairs to prevent their spreading under strain all combined and operating substantially as shown and detially of a metallic strut or arch upon the up-' per flat surface of which'the contiguous ends of the rails rest fish-plates for joining the ends of the rails and provided with downwardly projecting extensions which engage with the top of the strut or arch to hold it in its operative position, chairs which support the ends of the rails and which are provided with seats for the reception of the downwardly extending ends of the strut or arch and a tie-rod having its ends secured to the chairs to prevent 5. A support for rail-joints consisting essen tially of a metallic strut or arch upon the upper flat surface of which the contiguous ends of the rails rest and to which they are secured,

chairs which support the ends of the rails and which are provided with seats for the reception of the downwardly extending ends of the strut or arch and'a tie-rod elastically secured to the chairs to prevent their undue spreading under strain all combined and operating substantially as shown and described.

6. A support for rail-j oints consisting essentially of a metallic strut or arch upon the upper flat surface of which the contiguous ends of the rails rest fish-plates for'joining the ends of the rails and provided with downwardly projecting extensions which engage with the top of the strut 0r arch to hold it in its operative position, chairs which support the ends of the rails and which are provided with seats for the reception of the downwardly extending ends of the strut or arch and a tie-rod elastically secured to the chairs to prevent their undue spreading under strain all combined and operating substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to'this specification in the presence of 

